


It Started With a Wine Glass

by thesudokukid



Series: Persona Series: Take One [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4
Genre: Abusive Parents, Cameos, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-24 22:24:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12022281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesudokukid/pseuds/thesudokukid
Summary: First a suicide attempt saved my life, now it's a wine glass. Someone up there likes me very much. I'm not sure if it's in a good way or a bad one.I'm not sure if I'm prepared to tell you about the first thing. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I don't have all the information after all.But I can tell you about the wine glass. If you want to hear about it that is.---This is based around the OC. Just so we're clear.





	1. The Wine Glass

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MrGrumpyGills43](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrGrumpyGills43/gifts), [OnaDacora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnaDacora/gifts).
  * Inspired by [let yourself be cared for](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11454798) by [MrGrumpyGills43](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrGrumpyGills43/pseuds/MrGrumpyGills43). 
  * Inspired by [Would That Make You Happy?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684) by [OnaDacora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnaDacora/pseuds/OnaDacora). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How the wine glass fell and Why my mother slapped me.  
> \---  
> This two-shot will serve as a prologue for the fic I want to write.  
> (This is a suggested track. In other words it's a track I listened to on loop when writing that segment of the story)

My hand rushes to keep my mother’s wine glass from falling off the table. I succeed and then fail by spilling her wine on the table cloth instead.

I try to stay calm as I stand it up again.

The woman across from me teasingly remarks about how “someone had an accident” like I’m a little kid who just wet themselves rather than a clumsy girl who spilled her mother’s wine. If she didn’t sound so patronizing about it I’d be grateful. Instead I’m just annoyed.

But I smile and look bashful like I’m supposed to before trying to save the table cloth. Luckily my twin Souji who sees things more clearly pulls me up by the hand and pulls me into the kitchen so we can get a maid to do it instead. My mother’s never going to forgive me for ruining her dinner party.

***

The kitchen looks like it belongs in a fancy magazine or a five-star hotel. Pristine, bright, and beautiful. And nothing like the future my parents want for me.

“You seem upset,” our youngest maid says.

“You could say that.”

Minako immediately puts down the tray she’s carrying and sits down in front of me, “What’s the problem?”

“I spilled wine on a table cloth. Sorry.”

She shrugs at me, “Ah. It’s fine. It’s just a stupid table cloth. I’ll make sure we ‘need’ you in the kitchen until they calm down. So...about a month.”

“My father likes to fire staff members that get too friendly with me. So if you want to try it then go for it I guess. But you’ll probably end up getting fired if the stain doesn’t come out. And if it does? He’ll find a way to make you leave. He always does.”

Minako’s red eyes glint dangerously and she smirks, “He can try.”

I admire her belief but the last three maids that said that to me ended up quitting because he made them miserable. They also said never to contact them again. She’ll almost certainly be gone before the month is up or just after it ends. Unless I grovel and act like a month’s worth of maid duty was my idea.

God help us both if I drop a dish.

***

Convincing my father was the easy part. He hates me more than he values his reputation. With my mother it’s the other way around. Normally that works in my favor. Not this time though.

She wanted to talk to me outside in the garden while she gets her portrait painted. Probably to keep my under control.  But I won’t bow to her demands and desires. Not this time. Not ever again.

When I walk into the garden she’s draped across some kind of small couch looking like royalty. Narcissist much?

We go through the usual song and dance where she holds her superiority over my head. I explain the idea once those “pleasantries” are finally over. I want to try helping in the kitchen for a while. Starting with dishes and ending with cooking.

(Mother Knows Best: Reprise)

“Do you know what people will say about me once they hear my daughter’s ‘helping’ in the kitchen? They’d be thinking that you can’t do anything for yourself. And they’d be right of course but I don’t want them _thinking_ that.”

“You and I know you only had daughters so you could marry them off. I’ll need to know how to cook if I’m going to be someone’s wife right? Well if I’m going to learn something, I should learn from the best. And you always say that this family ‘only hires the best’. I think that’s explanation enough.”

I say it without my voice shaking but my stomach feels like jelly. And that only gets worse when I see the painter paint less smoothly.

“I hope you realize what you’ve just done.”

 _That_ makes me angry enough to override my fear. I make my voice as cold as hers has always been to me in private.

“You’re going to be old and alone one day,” I tell her. “Old and alone and with no one to love you. Just like you want me to be. And when you die a couple centuries from now, because only the _good_ die young, I’ll die because I couldn’t stop laughing.”

And then she slaps me across the face.

***

It’s hard to wash the dishes with a massive red welt on my face but I manage. My brother’s sitting nearby, facing the opposite direction, and watching for either of our “parents.”

“Do you think I was wrong to do what I did?”

“You could’ve held off on it. But no, I don’t think you were wrong. You should know that they’re sending you away in a month though. As ‘punishment’ for what you did wrong I think.”

That makes sense. After all the monsters were very, very angry last night. The quiet kind of angry. Bad things happen when they’re quiet. Bad like a volcano eruption.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of not great at describing locations and scenes. I'm bad at description and general so let me know if there's an issue with that. Thanks for reading.


	2. The Phone Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How I met Minato and Why I see him so highly

Fear leaks into my voice, “Where are they sending me to?”

“A private school. It’s one that I picked.”

His voice cracks, “You’ll be safe there. People will actually be able to protect you.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

(A Way of Life from P3P)

Minako puts down a tray, “Come on now, don’t talk like that. My brother’s gonna go to the same school as you. I’m sure he’ll keep an eye on you if we ask.”

I shrug. “Then it’s worth a shot. I guess.”

Minako’s voice couldn’t possibly sound more chipper, “Perfect! Follow me.”

Then she grabs my hand and drags me off, almost forcing me to leave my twin brother behind.

***

(A New Hope Reborn from HetaOni)

I can feel the darkness cloaking me from the phone call as the sun starts to set.  It’s soothing. Comforting. And it keeps me from feeling like I’ve made a terrible, earth shattering mistake. I only hope the feeling doesn’t dissolve because Minako’s phone call to her brother doesn’t seem like it’s going well in the least.

“Minako, do you any _concept_ of what you’re asking me to do?”

“I was just-”

“I was _with them_ in the car when it crashed. Why are you making me do this?”

“I’m not _making_ you do anything Minato.”

“You know how I am about kids and people that need help, Even now, even when I don’t know them... And dealing with someone who’r both, who’s going to make me feel obligated to them? You’re asking too much.

“What-do you think I’ll feel when they end up hurt or sick or... dead. With her history, that last one’s more likely than not. She got hospitalized for a suicide attempt once. Years ago when she was eleven. Those feelings don’t just go away Minako.”

“I never said they did.”

I should end things before they both hate each other.

“Maybe it’s best if you just hang up,” I say. “He’s clearly not in the mood to talk about it right now. Or ever.”

The next time Minako’s brother Minato talks, it’s like all the anger got sucked out of his voice.

(Memories of the School)

“I owe you both an apology, So here it is. I’m sorry for yelling, I’m just angry. Watching your parents die in front of you, it’s traumatizing. You don’t really want to get close to anybody after that. Because you’re worried they’ll get ripped away from you too. Not that it gives me an excuse. But I hope that explains it at least.”

“Thank you for apologizing.” I say.

His voice gets softer, more tender. I think he means what he’s saying.

“I didn’t scare you, did I? Because if I did, I owe you an apology for that too. Don’t let me get away with not giving it.”

I think this is the first time I’ve heard that from someone who isn’t associated with my brother. The realization of it makes me burst into tears.

It feels like ages before I stop crying, And the whole time, I can’t help wondering what else I’ve got bottled up inside me.

***

(Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift)

No one really talks again until I’m done crying. Minato’s the first to break the silence my tears have caused.

“We have to get you out of there,” he says. “You won’t be safe there.”

“And then my brother and I will end up in an orphan institution. I don’t doubt that he’ll get picked up for an adult adoption but there are so many things wrong with me that...I-I don’t think anyone would want me.”

“Anyone who doesn’t want you is an asshole,” Minato says. “Point me at them and I’ll let them know that.”

He sighs, “I hate to cut this short but the sooner I graduate the sooner I can get you out of that hell hole disguised as a house. And I don’t want you in there a second longer than necessary.”

With that the call ends and I’m left with Minako whose red eyes are shining with both tears and anger.

“I’ll kick their asses as soon as you leave,” she says. “I don’t even care if it gets me fired.”

I laugh harder and longer than I ever have with someone besides my brother. And when I stop I’m surprised to learn that I feel freer than I have in years.


End file.
